Strapless brassiere



March 11, 1952 M. K. ANDERSON STRAPLESS BRASSIERE Filed April 23. 1949 INVENTOR. 1114264257 1?. ANOEEsO/v Patented Mar. 11, 1952 STRAPLESS BRASSIERE Margaret K. Anderson, Beverly Hills, Calif., as-

signor to Helene Brassiere Company, Inc.. Glendale, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 23, 1949, Serial No. 89,333

1 Claim. (Cl. 2-42) This invention relates to improvements in brassiere construction and is particularly directed to a brassiere capable of being worn without the use of shoulder straps.

The term brassire as employed herein relates to any breast-receiving and covering garment Whether such garment is an integral part of an outer garment or a separate under garment. The construction of the present invention may be used in an under garment or it may be embodied in bathing suits, sun suits or various other articles of clothing.

Heretofore brassires generally stated comprised a garment capable of encircling the body in the region of the breasts, such garment being supported by shoulder straps each of said straps extending over a shoulder and connecting the upper marginal edge of the brassire with the rear portion of the band. Shoulder straps are unsightly in certain instances and detract from shoulder contours. Moreover the usual type of brassire cannot be worn with certain evening gowns.

Strapless brassieres have been constructed heretofore but have necessitated the use of many reinforcing elements such as bones, strips, etc. Moreover, most of the strapless brassires known to me either included a relatively wide body band below the breast-receiving cups or have been incapable of maintaining their position upon the not be worn with comfort or had a highly developed tendency to slip downwardly along the body of the wearer.

These various disadvantages of prior constructions are overcome by means of the present invention. Generally stated the construction hereinafter disclosed in greater detail includes the provision of a single, preferably unitary formed wire element having a central, substantially horizontal portion connecting two virtually semicircular sections, these semi-circular sections partially encircling the inner and upper portions of each breast. The inner and upper margins of each breast-receiving cup are delineated by and attached to the virtually semi-circular sections of the wire element. In the preferred form the semi-circular sections are essentially formed so as to have portions thereof overlap or at least be in close proximity. When the garment is applied to the body and the elastic band portions of the brassire are connected the central portion of the wire element imparts resiliency to the entire structure, the semi-circular sections of the wire element permitting outward movement of the two breast-receiving cups carried thereby. The wire element not only contributes to the resiliency of the entire brassiere but also anchors the brassire upon the body of the wearer preventing undesirable downward movement.

It is an object of the present invention therefore to disclose and provide an improved brassire construction wherein a wire element joins the breast-receiving pockets, partially encircles each of such pockets and imparts form-fitting characteristics thereto.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and provide an improved strapless brassiere.

A still further object of the invention is to disclose and provide a pre-formed resilient wire element for use in brassieres. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of brassire manufacture from the following description. For purposes of illustration reference will be had to the appended drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective three-quarter front view of a brassiere embodying the present construction in position upon the body of the wearer.

Fig. 2 is a front view of one form of wire element utilized in the brassiere shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the wire element shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section taken through the upper marginal edge of a breast-receiving pocket.

Fig. 5 is a front view of a modified form of brassire, in extended form. I

The brassire illustrated in Fig. comprises two breast-receiving cups In and H the outer side of such cups being connected to a short outer underarm member such as I2 and a rearwardly extending elastic band portion [3, the band portions being provided with means for their connection in the central portion of the It will be noted that the side members l2 are each provided with a relatively narrow bottom band or band portion 14. The inward ends 15 of the band portions I4 are spaced from each other and such ends I5 are located beneath the breastreceiving cups. Connection is established between the two cups I and I I by means of a relatively straight substantially horizontal portion I6, this portion I6 being the central portion of a pro-formed wire element generally indicated by a heavy, dotted line at 9.

The preferred configuration of the preformed wire element 9 is best illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. As there shown the central substantially horizontal portion I6 is provided with upstanding end portions I! and I I each of said end portions being preferably of shorter length than the length of the central portion IS. A virtually semi-circular section extendsfrom the upper end of the end portions. These curved sections are indicated at I8 and I8 and it will bexnoted that each of these curved sections terminates in a blunt or turned-back end such as I9 which is spaced from and displaced outwardly from the upper end of its correlated end portion'II.

It is to be understood that Fig. 2 shows the resilient wire element in its normal relaxed position. In this relaxed position it will be noted that intermediate portions of the sections I8 and I8 are in overlapped relation. Furthermore, as best shown in Fig. 3, the terminals I9 and a part of the semi-circular section leading thereto is displaced rearwardly out of the plane normally occupied by the central portion I6 and the upstanding portions I'i' and I'I of the element.

The entire wire element is preferably covered with a plush tape or tubing so as to enclose such element. The breast-receiving cups I9 and iI are attached to such plush tubing and to the adjacent outward portions I2. The upstandin end portions I1 and I? of the element are connected to the ends I5 of the short band elements I4. The ends I5 of the bands I4 may be provided with a loop through which the upstanding end portions ll of the wire element may pass.

When the brassiere is placed upon the body and the opposing ends of the resilient or elastic band members I3 are connected a rearward stress is applied to each of the portions I2 of the brassiere and transmitted thereby to the terminals I9 of the formed element 9. In order to equalize this rearward tension and prevent undesirable cupping or bulging of the garment in the under-arm zone a stiffening element such as a rib or bone 22 is built into the rear area or margin of each of the members I2. This reinforcing rib or bone is preferably at an upwardly and outwardly inclined angle to the bottom edge of the band I l. Moreover, such bone or reinforcing 22 should be in relatively close proximity to the outer edge of the adjacent breast-receiving cup I0. Normally it has been found desirable to have such reinforcing or bone positioned at a distance of from one-half inch to one and onehalf inches of the adjacent margin of the breastreceiving cup.

The outwardly directed tension transmitted by the resilient band members I3 to the brassiere and distributed by the reinforcing or bone 22 deilects the terminal II!) of the pre-formed wire member into the wash-line portion indicated in Fig. 2. It will be noted that in this position the two virtually semi-circular sections I8 and I3 are spaced from each other. It will also be noted that the central and lower portion I6 becomes arched. As a result the breast-receiving cups If! and II assume a natural spaced position upon the body and the body of the wearer is exposed between the breasts to a point materially-below 4 the breasts. Such plunging neckline is highly desirable for many evening gowns.

It may also be noted that the garment is comfcrtable to wear inasmuch as it expands and contracts with breathing such resiliency being imparted not only by the bands I3 but also by the resiliency of the central section I6. Since portions of the wire element extend over the top of each breast the garment will not slip downwardly. Moreover, since a portion of each of the wire elements extends beneath each breastreceiving pocket displacement of the garment upon the body of the wearer is prevented and the accidental downward movement of the breast from beneath the brassiere is inhibited.

Although the brassiere is primarily to be used without shoulder straps, means can be provided for the selective attachment of shoulder straps to the brassiere. As best shown in Fig. 4 (which is a transverse section through an upper marginal edge portion of the breast cup ID) the curved portion I8 of the wire frame may be retained between a backing tape 23 and the plush tape 2 1, this assembly being connected to the marginal portion of the breast cup I0. A small length of ribbon 25 may be carried on the surface of the tape 26, the entire assembly being stitched as by lines of stitching 2'. and 28. The hook 28 of a strap fitting 39 can be selectively inserted beneath the ribbon 25 whenever the wearer desires to use shoulder straps. The rear elastic members I3 may be similarly provided with ribbon loops for the purpose of releasably connecting the rear ends of the shoulder straps therewith. The ribbon members 25 are pref.- erably located in the upper portions of the breast cups spaced from the terminals I9 of the contained pre-formed wire element.

Fig. 5 illustrates a modification wherein the wire element is provided with longer upstanding portions 3'! and 33". The curved sections 38 and 38 normally do not overlap and a sternum piece 26 extends over the area between the central bottom portion 36, the upstanding portions 31 and the opposing lower portions of the sec.-

tions 38. A brassiere constructed in accordance with this modification does not expose the body of the wearer between the breasts but the wire framework insures close contact of all portions of the brassiere with the body, prevents slippage of the garment upon the body and permits its use without shoulder straps.

It is to be understood that the breast-receiving cups may be made of any conformable material so arranged as to impart the desired contours to the breast (generally somewhat conical in form). Ihe under-arm portions I2 as well as the band I l may be made of any compliant fabric whereas the rearwardly extending band portions are of elastic stitchable material. The breast-receiving cups may be stitched or decorated in any suitable manner for decorative and reinforcing purposes.

All changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claim are embraced thereby.

Iclaim:

In a brassiere including a pair of virtually conical breast-receiving cups of compliant material, the provision of: a resilient wire element consisting of a substantially horizontal central section, each end section of the element being curved into a substantially semicircular form, and an upstanding, intermediate section between each of said curved end sections and the central aaaacoa section; each of the curved end sections including a portion, adjacent the associated intermediate section, directed inwardly toward the other curved end section, and an end poir tion directed away from the other curved end section; each of the curved end sections being preformed and prestressed. one of the curved end"'sections lying in the plane of the central section and the other out of the plane thereof and in artial overlapping relation when in normal f 'po'sition off the body of a wearer; each of the curved sections of the wire element being attachedito a breastreceiving cup; and a rearwardlyfextending underarm portion including elastic; stretchable means, connected to the outward niargin of each cup, said rearwardly extending-portions being adapted to encircle the body andbe joined and to hold the breast-receiving cupsinspaced positionagainst the prestressed wire element, where- MARGARET K: ANDERSON;

REFERENCES CITEIl- :The following references are "of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Nurn er Name Date c. 2,3913%17 Hill Dec. 25, 1945 2;}3611994 Bowen Feb. 17, 1948 2346337 Schoebel Aug. 3. 1948 23183, 2 72 Gluckin Sept. 27, 1949 2,51 869 Isaacs July 11, 1950 Kramer Aug. 22, 1950 

